The Rules of the Game
by Ladyamesindy
Summary: When Shastaryn and Alistair confront Howe's elite, The griffon's really do rise again ... but so does the past. I know, I need to work on summaries! sorry!


_This is my first attempt at fan fiction of any kind. I appreciate any reviews, suggestions, etc. as they will help guide me in future writings._

_Shastaryn is my character from my first city elf run through in Origins. I am currently working on a much larger piece which follows her Origins story. I don't know if I will ever publish it, but depending on how this one works, I might consider breaking it into pieces for publication. =)_

_Usual disclaimers…BioWare owns all except my character's name. I only wish I had the idea! =)_

_At this point, I want to thank mille libri for her story "Freely We Serve" which inspired me to come up with this. Also Erynnar, Freckles04, Sisimka and others whose stories I have favorited…your creations are wonderful and have given me the courage to try! Many thanks!_

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_The Rules of the Game_

The sign above the doorway, in bright gold letters over a field of deep blue read, read _The Pearl_. Below the words was a picture of an opened oyster against a field of water that contained one single, perfectly shaped pearl in its center.

During her childhood, Shastaryn had once listened to a fisherman as he described to a group of inquisitive children what pearls were and how rare they were to find. "Pearls come in many shapes and sizes and colors," he'd said while showing them one on a leather thong that he retrieved from around his neck. "They are perfected by nature and enhance beauty when worn. They are symbols of luxury and magnificence."

Now so many years later, after entering the establishment with the same name, she wondered exactly what the place was trying to advertise by calling itself after the tiny, iridescent creations of nature. The few "workers" she'd seen so far were of no comparison, to say the least, Shastaryn thought to herself as she and her companions entered the back rooms of the establishment. And the décor of the place was too gaudy to be considered elegant.

Shastaryn and her companions dispatched the White Falcons; a group of mercenaries that Sgt. Kylon had advised them needed removing due to their rabble-rousing nature. The city elf Warden and her friends now prepared themselves for two other, separate missions also located in the building before their planned departure back to the Market District.

The foursome casually made their way into the main quarters of the brothel and located the body that the barkeep at the Gnawed Noble Tavern had advised them of. Rather, the message he'd passed along had advised them. Shastaryn had her doubts that the man actually paid any real attention to any of the messages. _Safer that way_, she thought. Shastaryn gestured to Alistair who lifted the body bag and departed the room with the others following close behind.

Before turning to leave the establishment, however, Shastaryn noticed the lone door to her right. Frowning, she thought back to the poster she and Alistair had noticed in Denerim near the entrance to the Alienage. Catching his eye, she suggested softly, "Zev, you and Leliana go drop off the body and return to camp. Alistair and I have some unfinished business to attend to."

Zevran snickered but said nothing, taking the deceased body from Alistair and leading Leliana towards the exit. Shastaryn realized then how her words had sounded and noticed that Alistair's blush had crept back up his neck towards his ears. Sighing, she decided she really did like his bashfulness. It was healthier than the alternative, she thought. "Sorry," she murmured when they were alone. Alistair remained silent, but he did smile gently at her indicating no hard feelings.

"So," he murmured quietly once they were alone, "what caught your interest here?"

Shastaryn turned to face him. "Remember that poster we saw in Denerim? The one aimed at catching the attention of Warden supporters?" she asked. When he nodded, she added, "I wanted to see if we might be able to determine what was going on. It sounded a bit suspicious to me."

Alistair nodded again. "I thought so as well." Glancing around the now empty hallway, he asked, "Where did you want to begin?"

Shastaryn pointed at the closed door that had caught her attention moments before. "It is the only room in this place that is closed up tight. What better reason to start there?" As they approached the doorway, he asked quietly, "Do you think we'll be able to handle this by ourselves? We don't really know what's back there."

Shastaryn shrugged. "We know it's a trap, therefore we have the advantage," she replied, raising her hand to knock. "Besides," she added softly as she heard a call for the password, "we're Wardens." She turned her attention towards the door. "The griffons will rise again," she called loudly enough to be heard but still softly enough not to draw any undue attention from others nearby. "They aren't expecting us, only Warden sympathizers."

"Come in, quickly!" the voice called.

Shastaryn glanced up at Alistair, and he nodded indicating that he was ready. The room was dimly lit as they entered, but Shastaryn's eyes adjusted quickly. She stood in front of Alistair, dropping her hand behind her back and lifting four fingers to indicate the number of opponents, a little trick they had been using since their early days of adventuring in Lothering. The leader began speaking then, but it was the lone woman in the room – and an elf at that – who caught Shastaryn's immediate attention.

"Well, well, look what we have here," the man declared, his voice dripping sarcasm. "Another Grey Warden supporter."

"Not just a supporter, Paedan. That's a Grey Warden. She's the one Arl Howe is looking for," the elven woman responded in a cold tone. Her gaze was locked on Shastaryn's, neither woman wavering.

Paedan looked incredulous. "Our trap has landed a Warden?" he mused, glancing from Shastaryn to Alistair and then back. "You've got one chance to surrender."

Shastaryn was quick to point out, "Loghain framed the Grey Wardens."

Paedan chuckled. "For what it's worth," he said dryly, "I believe you. Not that I particularly care. Heh. We're not common guards, Warden. We're Howe's elite." He stood straighter, his look becoming a bit more menacing as he reached for his weapon. "Shaevra, Tennant, Jarvy – let's kill ourselves a Warden."

Howe's elite began moving into position and drawing their weapons. Shastaryn corrected, "That would be _two_ Wardens!" She heard Alistair's battle cry as they both moved to defend themselves.

Despite the odds and close quarter fighting, Alistair and Shastaryn quickly dispatched their opponents. Alistair checked the bodies for any weapons or armor that their group might be able to utilize and then turned to find Shastaryn kneeling beside the woman. He noticed then that she was an elf and wondered briefly if that was why Shastaryn had seemed so interested. He knelt beside his fellow Warden. "Everything all right, Shasta?" he queried softly.

Shastaryn was startled from her thoughts and glanced over her shoulder at him. She took a deep breath and released it, hoping that as she did so her concerns would leave as well. Nodding, she added, "I...I'm fine." She had turned the body over and was now closing the eyes. Reluctantly, soberly, she rose to her feet. "I'll explain later," she told him as they both turned to leave the room, securing the door behind them.

Alistair nodded and led the way out of _The Pearl_ back towards the Market District and then, eventually, in a meandering sort of way, out of the city. He occasionally glanced down at his companion whose unusual silence concerned him. As they neared the Alienage, Alistair thought to try once more to engage her in conversation, but saw her eyes flare as she glanced at the lowered gate. Saying nothing, he simply followed as she quickened her pace and hurried out of the city.

_Seven year old Shastaryn ran and hid beneath the porch, moving closer into the shadows so she couldn't be seen. _This is such a good hiding spot! _she thought. _No one, not even Shianni or Soris would ever think to look for me here! _As she remained in the dark, she could hear the sounds of the other children as, one by one, their hiding places were revealed, and the group of "its" became larger._

_Suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, a strong hand reached beneath the platform, grasped Shastaryn's ankle and yanked until she was pulled out into the bright sunshine. "Ouch!" she cried as some of her shoulder length red waves caught on the splintering wood planks. Rubbing at the sore spot, Shastaryn glanced up. "Shaevra!" she gasped, eyeing her dark haired friend. "What was _that _for? That hurt!"_

_Shaevra, a slender girl, shrugged nonchalantly. "It's all a part of the rules of the game," she replied._

_Shastaryn rose to her feet and began following Shaevra back to the old vhenadahl tree that was the home base for the children's game of tag. "You didn't have to hurt me!" she insisted._

_Again, Shaevra shrugged. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people," she told her in a voice devoid of any emotion. "You should remember that."_

_Shastaryn frowned. The way Shaevra had spoken, she knew that her friend was simply repeating what an adult had told her. She wondered who it had been and why._

_The two arrived at the tree then, and Shaevra shouted, "Shasta's it!" before turning to dash off and hide._

That evening as he wandered down by the river they had camped near, Alistair found Shastaryn seated on a large rock near the edge of the water. She had bathed, it appeared, and was trying to dry her long red locks before pinning them back up on the top of her head in their usual bun. Cautiously, he approached. Setting aside a bundle he had brought with him, he took a seat behind her on the boulder.

Though he didn't say anything, Shastaryn knew he was there. She smiled to herself. One of the benefits of the taint, aside from sensing the darkspawn, was that she could detect Alistair's presence as well. This was particularly useful when they split up during battles. More than once she was sure it had saved them from being injured when their parties met up once more as a battle raged around them.

Sighing, Shastaryn looked out over the river towards the setting sun that was falling behind the coppery-gold leaf covered trees. It never failed to amaze her how much beauty could be found in nature. She had grown up a city elf, yes, but she had always loved the outdoors, and she had learned to appreciate every stolen moment that she could during this time, savoring it for a time when she would no longer have it available.

Alistair took the towel that Shastaryn was using to dry her hair and began rubbing the locks himself. "Wouldn't your hair dry faster if you were sitting in front of the fire?" he queried.

She shot a quick grin at him over her shoulder, replying, "Yes, most likely, but I prefer to be alone right now."

Alistair's hands stopped moving at her words, and he began to set the towel aside. Turning slightly as he began to rise to step away, her hand darted out in a quick motion and captured his wrist. She saw him glance down at where she held him and knew that he was still surprised by her quickness. She murmured to him, "Not you." She saw his hesitant smile and once he was seated again, she scooted until she was seated between his legs, her back leaning against his chest. She could feel the heat of his body through their clothing, tunics and breeches only as they had removed their armor upon return to camp, and for a brief moment she reveled in the simple natural companionship that his presence provided. He was never demanding of her, nor was she of him. Their relationship was growing, and perhaps one day it would become more than just the strong friendship that they currently maintained, but as far as either was concerned, there was no rush.

Wrapping his arms around her, he rested his chin lightly on the top of her head while following her gaze across the river. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly.

Shastaryn sighed and relaxed completely into his embrace. "I'm afraid there isn't much to tell," she told him.

"Hmm. I take it you knew the woman back at _The Pearl_? The one who was killed?"

Shastaryn nodded. "Yes, you could say that," she replied. She closed her eyes and allowed her thoughts to drift back….

_Shastaryn glanced warily over at her friend. The girl's clothing was nice, nicer than anything she'd ever seen any other city elf wearing. And her hair – all done up fancy, smelling nice. Sighing, she asked softly, "Shaevra, what have you done?"_

_Shaevra snorted in derision. "What do you mean, what have I done? I have done what I must to survive! That is how the game works!"_

_Shastaryn frowned. Moving around the counter, she crossed the sales floor to her friend's side. She took her arm, guiding her towards the back of the store where they would have a bit of privacy. "The game? What game, Shaevra? You allow those shemlen nobles to tart you up like this? That is how you survive?" she hissed. She didn't want to argue, but she had to try to make Shaevra see that her current course of action was not beneficial to her or anyone else, for that matter._

_Shaevra looked down her nose at Shastaryn. "I do what I must. I am willing to make whatever sacrifice is necessary in order to survive this rat hole!"_

"_Have they abused you yet?" Shastaryn demanded harshly. She'd seen another friend go through something similar only a few months before. "Do they rape you? Hurt you? Humiliate you?" She searched Shaevra's features in a desperate attempt to find the truth. "Shaevra, you are only fifteen! Don't do this!"_

_Shaevra's gaze darkened. "Who do I have to teach me how to survive?" she demanded. "Not all of us are fortunate enough to have a mother like Adaia who can teach us swordplay or how to use shadows to our advantage! I do what I must in order to learn what I want to know! Those are the rules of the game, my friend!"_

"_The rules of the….You are selling yourself to the shemlen to learn swordplay? _That _is what you want?" Shastaryn gasped. "Why not simply ask my mother to teach you? You know she would! She thinks of you as a second daughter!"_

_Shaevra sniffed. "I'm learning from the best in Denerim," she sneered once more. "I don't need you or your mother to help me. I'm doing fine on my own!" Turning, she stormed out of the store._

_Shastaryn walked back towards the counter, struggling to regain her composure so she could deal with customers for the remainder of the day. _

Alistair squeezed Shastaryn's shoulders in sympathy. "So you two grew up together?" he asked, reaching towards the bundle he had set aside. He opened it, pulling out some bread, cheese and dried meat. He had known that they would likely be a while if they got to talking and that dinner would be long gone by their return. After all, Wynne was cooking tonight, and he knew all too well how quickly her food ended up in hungry bellies.

Shastaryn barely noticed when he put some of the food into her hands, but she began to eat it. Her thoughts were drifting between a time long past and her present circumstances. "Two weeks later," she continued after swallowing a bite of bread, "my mother was killed by some of the City Guards. They claimed she was inciting a rebellion in the Alienage. When they tried to arrest her, she fought back and was killed."

Silence. Neither one of them felt the need or the inclination to talk. After a while, though, Alistair queried, "Do you think Shaevra had something to do with it? With your mother's death, I mean?"

Shastaryn shook her head. "I don't know what to think," she replied honestly. "After that incident at Alarith's store, Shaevra never returned to the Alienage. I would like to hope that, despite the tentative nature of our friendship, Shaevra wouldn't purposely have done something to send them after my mother. But," she continued, turning to look up at him, "you saw as well as I did how good a fighter she was. She was one of 'Howe's elite'. Her skills were almost better than mine. She obviously worked hard to get where she was and given her mercenary attitude, well, I can quite easily see her being the driving force behind my mother's murder. You see," she added as almost an afterthought, "Shaevra's mother died when she was born. She always resented the closeness that my mother and I shared even though Adaia would treat her as one of her own. When my mother began teaching me her skills with swords and daggers, Shaevra grew jealous, I guess. My mother offered to teach her as well, but Shaevra refused."

Again the silence enveloped them and their individual thoughts.

The sun had finally sunk beneath the horizon, and the moon was well on its way across the sky. Shastaryn tilted her head back, allowing it to rest upon Alistair's shoulder so that she could look up at the ever darkening sky and the shining stars that eventually began to appear.

"She would have killed you today, you know." It was a statement of fact laced with a truly deep concern that melted her heart.

Shastaryn understood his meaning. Nodding, she murmured, "I know. And, while I considered her a friend, at least for a while when we were younger, I think I knew deep down she could not be trusted. I was not surprised at all when we found her there today."

After a brief silence this time, Alistair squeezed her affectionately. "For all that it is worth, I am sorry," he murmured near her ear.

Shastaryn nodded. "I am too," she replied softly. Taking a final deep breath, she straightened and turned to stand knowing that it was time to get back to the others. Glancing up at Alistair as he gathered the remnants of their meal, she touched his hand and added quietly, "Thank you for listening, Alistair."

He smiled down at her and reached out to tuck some of the now dry wisps of hair behind one of her ears. "You have always been there for me," he told her sincerely. "How could I not be there for you?"

Leaning forward, she kissed his cheek. "Come on. We should get back lest they send Zevran out after us."

Alistair nodded but groaned softly. "I can only imagine what he would say."


End file.
